Carney is best-known for his Emmy-winning portrayal of Ed Norton, Jackie Gleason's sidekick on the various incarnations of The Honeymooners (1952–70), but he has also had a varied stage and film career. He created the role of Felix Unger in the Broadway premiere of The Odd Couple (1965), guest-starred as The Archer on Batman (1966-68), won an Oscar for Harry and Tonto (1974), and has appeared in movies ranging from The Muppets Take Manhattan (1984) to Last Action Hero (1993).